1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, such as an electronic copying machine or a laser printer and, in particular, an image forming apparatus improving the discharging of recording paper (hereinafter referred to as copying paper or simply paper) and the removing of paper jamming.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,412,734 discloses an electronic copying apparatus of a clamshell type in which an apparatus body incorporating an image forming means therein is divided into upper and lower units with a paper conveying path as a boundary and the upper unit is accessed from above.
In the conventional electronic copying apparatus, upon the occurrence of jamming, the upper unit is opened from above so that jamming state can be removed.
In the case where paper image-formed by an image forming process means is to be discharged in the conventional electronic copying apparatus, etc., it is done onto a paper discharge tray ordinarily provided at a location outside the apparatus body, in particular, to the left of the apparatus body.
In the conventional apparatus as set out above, the whole upper unit of the clamshell structure provides an opening/closing unit through which access is gained to a paper jam site.
Since the whole upper unit is heavy in weight, it is cumbersome or unweildy to open or close at the time of removing paper jamming.
In order to precisely fit the heavy upper unit (opening/closing unit) into the rest of the apparatus, a complex, strong and bulky support mechanism has to be provided for openably supporting the heavy upper unit and a resultant apparatus becomes expensive as a whole.
Further, when the upper unit is opened and closed at the time of removing paper jamming during a portion of a copying operation, documents may fall out of a document rest and platen cover onto the floor and be scattered around, not only soiling the documents, etc., but also having to collect them.
Further, since the paper discharge tray as set out above is provided at the upper area of the location outside the apparatus body, it is necessary to secure an extra spacing for that projecting paper discharge tray.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,922,306, in particular, discloses a structure in which image-formed paper is conveyed temporality to an intermediate tray situated below a body. The intermediate tray is used to re-supply the paper to a given location, not used for discharge. This document discloses nothing about a detailed jamming handling mechanism and provides no solution to the aforementioned problem.